Nielsen to return home
02/09/2009 4:55 PM
Australian coach Tim Nielsen will return home from England early to spend time with his family, leaving his assistant Troy Cooley in charge for the final three games of the tour.
Having overseen Australia's second-successive Ashes series defeat on English soil last month, Cricket Australia has granted Nielsen leave to fly back to Adelaide after the fourth game of the upcoming seven-match one-day international series.
Cooley, who was poached by Australia after helping England to its drought-breaking 2005 Ashes triumph, will take over ahead of the fifth match on September 13 before Nielsen rejoins the squad ahead of its ICC Champions Trophy defence in South Africa on September 22.
"The Australian team has played back-to-back international cricket since September 2008 and looking at the busy schedule over the next 12 months, we believe it is the right time for Tim to take a break," said CA general manager of cricket Michael Brown.
"This will also provide an excellent opportunity for Tim's assistant, Troy Cooley, to continue his professional development by stepping up as acting coach for the remainder of the tour."
The decision to send Nielsen home early comes after Australian skipper Ricky Ponting returned following the completion of the Test series, with Ponting due back in England shortly, midway through the one-day series.